Elizabeth Catlett

“The big question for me as a Black woman is how do I serve my people? What is my role? What form do I use, what content, what are my priorities?” – Catlett quoted in Gouma-Peterson, “Elizabeth Catlett: The Power of Human Feeling and of Art,” 1983

Catlett’s sculpture is characterized by curvilinear shapes and smooth materials that emphasize the depicted beauty of the subject. Woman Figure blends stylized abstraction and realism to portray strength and the elegance and dignity of Black women.  As a printmaker and sculptor, Catlett lived in Harlem, New York and taught at the George Washington Carver School prior to moving to Mexico in 1946. While living abroad, her work continued to be produced in solidarity with the Civil Rights and Black Power movements.
 

Title: Woman Figure
Artist: Elizabeth Catlett (1915 – 2012)
Date: 1976
Medium: wood
Dimensions: 40 (height) x 18 (width) x 15 (depth) inches
Accession Number: H77.14
 

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